Defenders of Earth: Veni, Vidi, Vici
by Darth Brando
Summary: Arc 3 of Defenders. Venus has left the Scouts, but before we have time to fully recover, a new enemy shows up, looking to destroy the Scouts for the glory of their empire. Can we defeat them while down a Scout? And, how will we get Venus back? Stick around and you'll find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all,**

**Sorry we're a bit behind on posting. My editor has had some things going on that has made it very difficult for her to edit anything. At any rate, it seems things have calmed down so (with luck) we can get back to regular posting.**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

Mutter's Spiral (The Milky Way Galaxy): Sontar - Training Pit RD-22

The general looked down expectantly at the soldiers all vying for the position of Captain. Below him, the pit was a chaotic mess of soldiers fighting each other. The general nodded in approval as one soldier broke the leg of another. Satisfied that most of the soldiers in the pit were worthy fighters, as the failures were already dead or broken, the general spoke. "Soldiers!" he barked.

The soldiers immediately stopped what they were doing and stood at attention. The one with the broken leg struggled to get up, refusing to show pain. The general nodded in approval at the soldier's determination. "Excellent, soldier. Do not show weakness or pain or our enemies will take advantage of it. However, because of your defeat on the battle floor, you are unfit to move up to the position of Captain. Don't worry, soldier, you will still get to partake in glorious warfare on the front lines! You are dismissed."

Without a second glance at the wounded soldier, who hobbled out, the general surveyed the others."There is one final test. To meet and defeat a worthy foe upon the field of battle! I have already gone through the databases and have selected an enemy for each of you. You will take ten soldiers and will face your target in glorious battle! Should you fail, you will bring dishonor upon your genetic batch. Succeed and bring honor to yourselves and the glorious Sontaran Empire." the general glanced over the soldiers again as screens slid up in front of them.

The soldiers examined the individual readouts on the screens. "I have a question, sir" One of them said, glancing over his screen.

The general turned. "Knowledge is power and power brings defeat to our enemies. Ask your questions, soldier."

The soldier turned to the general, twisting the screen so the general could see the picture of five humans in odd uniforms. "Who are they, sir? There is no information on them. And they seem to lack armor or weapons of any kind. Do they have some sort of energy shields or abilities that negate the need for armor and weapons?"

"Indeed," the general replied as proudly. "Know your enemy. Very good, soldier. They are known as 'Sailor Soldiers'. Once, there were many of them all across the galaxy. They were some of the most formidable foes our Empire ever faced. Then _THEY_ were invited to the most glorious of all wars, the Last Great Time War. A great many of them died and as such, the survivors are expected to be formidable opponents. Rejoice in this soldier, for their defeat will bring you and Sontar great honor!"

"We have fought them before, sir? Are there any records of the glorious battles so that I may learn from them?"

"What is your name, soldier?"

"Trax the Devastator, four thousand three hundred twenty six kills, sir. Third Sontaran Battlefleet."

"Well, Soldier Trax, Sontarans have never had the pleasure of meeting these particular foes in glorious battle," the general admitted. "Nor do we have much information on these individuals in particular. However, other species and armies have had the honor of facing them. Thus far, these 'Sailor Soldiers' have reigned undefeated. Your impressive record is the reason this enemy was selected for you. You will find all the holo-vids you require in the History of Warfare Hall."

"I look forward to killing them for the glory of Sontar, sir."

The general felt a bit of pride towards the soldier. _Why shouldn't I? _he thought. _He was cloned from my genetic template. _It was the closest a Sontaran would ever come to parenthood. Still, the general pushed his feelings away. "I think you will do quite well, soldier. Quite well indeed…"

* * *

Mutter's Spiral; Third Quadrant: Section 8023. Sol III (Earth) - Tokyo

Anastasia hadn't felt so content since she had devoured her last planet. Lazily, she licked the oil from her fingers as her eyes wandered around the chamber where the Sailor Scouts had left the Cybermen. She was glad they did. The materials and energy she got from feasting on the Cyberemen and their technology had given her a huge boost. _Still isn't enough, _she reminded herself. For her, this chamber was no more than a small morsel.

With a reluctant sigh, she scooped up the last remaining trace of the Cybermen, an arm, and began to nibble on it as she left the chamber. She had to get to the shrine soon so she could earn money. With that money, she would buy food. _Such a silly practice, _she thought as she finished off the arm. _Not that it will matter once I devour this planet._

Her stomach rumbled at the thought. With an unhappy sigh, she went off in search of something to eat before going to work.


	2. Chapter 2

_ "Safe? No! Of course you're not safe! There's about a billion other things out there just waiting to burn your whole world."_

The 11th Doctor to President Nixon: _Day of the Moon; _Doctor Who, Series 6

* * *

Black and white.

Those were the two colors that defined everything Ami felt comfortable with. Books, words, programs, anything filled with knowledge. She buried herself in black and white. Some of it was to hide her partial lack of confidence. Most of it was because she felt comfortable in a world where everything was right or wrong. She still liked challenges though. She easily embraced anything that forced her to use her mind.

The challenge she was taking was extraordinarily difficult, but she relished it. She sat in silence as she contemplated her next move. It wasn't as easy as most people assumed. She couldn't imagine one move, but had to consider all possible moves, counter moves, and possible future moves, all at the same time.

Despite the difficulty, Ami was at home among the black and white pieces she contemplated. Playing with them was comforting and allowed her to forget everything else for a while. Not to mention it forced her to use her mind.

She reached out and moved a rook, claiming Charlotte's knight. Without hesitation, Charlotte claimed the rook with her bishop.

Ami felt the excitement rising in her. Charlotte was doing exactly what Ami hoped for.

Ami claimed the bishop with one of her pawns. _One more move, _Ami thought.

Her plan fell apart as Charlotte moved the Queen instead of the knight. Ami glanced at the queen and immediately spotted the trap Charlotte had cunningly laid. Instead of falling into it, Ami moved her other bishop.

Charlotte moved a rook. _Where did that come from?! _Ami thought. Mentally, she shook herself. _Of course, Char hasn't moved it the whole game and I overlooked it. What's worse -_

"Checkmate," Charlotte announced.

"That was a good game," Ami replied with a smile.

Charlotte smiled back. "Thank you. I find playing this game to be excellent for making sure my processors are running at optimum levels. And you do present a challenge, for a human."

Ami tilted her head slightly to the left. "You might not want to say things like that around other people. They don't know what you really are."

Charlotte tried to look embarrassed, but looked sick instead. "Apologies. It is still peculiar to me that this planet lacks droids. I suspect I am the most advanced piece of technology on this whole planet."

The bell rang before Ami could respond. She and Charlotte put the pieces away before heading inside the school.

As they headed to their room, Ami caught a glimpse of Mina in the hallway. Ami waved, but Mina continued to stare forward as if Ami didn't exist.

"She doesn't look well," Charlotte commented.

Serena responded as she and Lita joined Ami and Charlotte. "She was crying again."

Lita glanced sadly at the former scout. "Poor Mina. I think she still blames herself for what happened to William and all those other people."

A grim silence settled over the group for a moment. For a moment, they all flashed back to all the people who had died because of them.

"It wasn't our fault," Ami said firmly. "The Cybermen killed them first."

Lita looked tired, weary and much older for a moment. "I still think there must have been another way."

Charlotte crossed her arms. She sounded impatient, a trait she had picked up from Serena. "I told you, there wasn't. It was your world or the Cybermen. Think of the lives you saved, not the ones you ended."

Ami nodded as the girls took their seats. "Charlotte has a point. We protected the world and that's what's important."

The others didn't have time to reply before the teacher swept into the room. She called the class to order before glancing around. "Today, we're starting on Astronomy," she said fondly. Without further ado, she began the lesson.

* * *

***That afternoon – Hikawa Shrine***

Ami smiled slightly as she read the question from the homework aloud. "What's the only known planet with life?"

Charlotte snorted derisively. Yet another bad habit she had picked up from watching humans.

Lita turned to Charlotte. "How many planets do have life?"

Charlotte considered for a moment. "There are, to my knowledge, approximately three hundred billion stars and almost every star has a planet or system of planets. Of all those, it's estimated that about four hundred or fewer have intelligent life."

Charlotte turned out the lights. Her image wavered and disappeared. The room was filled with a slowly spinning diagram of the entire galaxy. Around most of the billions of white dots, small red and blue dots appeared. "Red dots are planets that cannot support life. Blue are known to have life or are believed to have life based on information I currently have."

Lita cupped a small, blinking blue dot almost at the center in her hand. It rapidly expanded until a large reddish planet was dominating the center of the room. "Gallifrey," Charlotte's voice said. She sounded apologetic. "Sorry, that planet shouldn't be there. To my knowledge, it no longer exists. If it ever did exist."

"What do you mean 'if it ever did exist?" Ami asked. The curiosity in her voice was unmistakable.

Charlotte hesitated a moment. "Gallifrey is a mythical planet said to be ruled by a species called 'Time Lords'. Legend says they guarded all of space and time. Naturally in their infinite wisdom and technological supremacy they tried to destroy another race before it could conquer the Universe. A war, called the 'Last Great Time War' in the legends, broke out and they sacrificed themselves and their planet to destroy their enemy and end the war before it could tear apart the Universe. Or something like that. The legends are a bit vague and don't always agree."

Lita touched the image of the planet. As she ran her fingers over it, it spun in the direction her fingers went. "Who did they go to war with?"

The image of Gallifrey vanished. "It's only a myth," Charlotte replied irritably. "Likely someone placed it in the program as a joke or foolishly believed it existed. Gallifrey and the Time Lords never existed outside of the imagination. As for planets with life, there are approximately three hundred _real _planets that support, have supported, or could support sentient life."

Ami glanced at all the blue dots, feeling a mix of awe and uneasiness. "How many of them could pose a threat to Earth?"

Two dozen of the blue dots enlarged to the size of volleyballs. Instead of dots, they changed into planets. "These are all the planets that have the technology to pose a threat to your planet. However, it is unlikely that most of them would attack Earth. This entire galaxy is ruled by the Shadow Proclamation." An image of three asteroids connected by bridges appeared at the center of the room.

"They ensure that less technologically advanced planets are protected from more advanced planets. In addition, they are the supreme law with their own police to enforce their laws. Despite this, there are a few that consider themselves above the Shadow Proclamation."

Most of the planets disappeared, leaving only a few. "These are the ones most likely to ignore the Shadow Proclamation, either as an entire planet, or as individuals, companies, or nations. Some, like Raxacoricofallapatorius, you've already encountered. Some I hope you never do."

Rei glanced calmly around at the planets. "I'm sure we could handle them easily. Who are they anyway?"

"I wouldn't be so confident," Charlotte said glumly. "Some of these species have destroyed entire worlds and wiped out civilizations far more advanced than yours. As for who they are-" As Charlotte spoke each name, an image of the planet and the dominant species appeared at the center of the room "Raxacoricofallapatorius you've already seen. Crime families or groups of organized criminals unofficially rule most of the planet. Clom is the sister planet and is very much the same in terms of who's in charge. It's unlikely you'll see much of either of them as they're currently at war. New Mars - "

"_New_ Mars?" Rei interrupted.

"Yes," Charlotte replied. "Colonized by the Ice Warriors after the atmosphere of Mars was severely compromised. Though, as I understand it, there are some Ice Warriors still living on Mars."

Rei frowned. "Ice Warriors… why does that sound familiar?"

Ami considered for a moment. The name sparked something in her mind, a blurry image that didn't fully resolve. "They sound familiar to me to. Maybe we knew them during the Silver Millenium?"

Charlotte's voice came from the center of the room. "The what now?"

It was Serena who answered. "The Silver Millennium. When the Moon Kingdom still existed. It was destroyed a thousand years ago. We lived there, and each of us was a princess of a planet. Darien was King of the Earth. It was destroyed by the Negaverse but Queen Serenity sent all of us to the future."

"Oh?" Charlotte sounded skeptical. "Well, it's plausible you knew the Ice Warriors. They've lived on Mars for millions of years." She continued before the others could reply. "Then there's Sontar, a planet ruled by a race of warrior clones who are more interested in glory and honor earned by killing in battle than galactic law. They're always starting wars with someone. Last, and worse, is Skaro."

The planet's image appeared at the center of the room. "Home planet of the Daleks. Not that they live there anymore. The planet was heavily damaged and almost destroyed during a war. It's inhospitable because of the incredibly high concentrations of toxins in everything and the almost perpetual acid rain. The Daleks themselves are one of the few species in the galaxy that have the technology to travel throughout the Universe. With any luck, you'll never meet one."

Rei crossed her arms. "If there are all these species out here, why haven't we seen any of them?"

Charlotte reappeared as the image of the galaxy vanished. "One, the Shadow Proclamation is very strict and controlling when anyone comes to Earth on vacation or files for residency here. Two, you aren't the only ones defending this planet. Don't ask me who the others are, I haven't the faintest idea. All I know are myths and rumors about a blue box. At any rate, it's not important. We should get back to studying. Serena is going to need all the help she can get."

Serena squawked indignantly. "I did just fine on the last test!"

Rei snorted. "If forty percent is fine it's no wonder you're a meatball head."

"Stop calling me that!"

"You're a meatball head!"

"At least I don't wake up looking like _you_."

"What's _that _supposed to mean?"

The other three watched in weary resignation as Serena and Rei continued squabbling. "So much for studying," Lita said glumly.

Ami picked up her book and ignored Rei and Serena. "They'll calm down eventually. They always do."


	3. Chapter 3

**Trailers are finally out for the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who. And it looks like it's going to be epic and we may finally get to see some of the Time War. Just so you all know, it comes out the 22nd. It's going to be fantastic.**

**Also, go check out the new mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor." I won't spoil it for you, but we finally get to see the 8th Doctor again (and finally figure out where John Hurt's Doctor fits in)!**

* * *

_What I did, I did without choice, _

_in the name of Peace and Sanity._

-The War Doctor; _The Name of the Doctor: _Doctor Who Series 7

* * *

Serena clutched the pillow to her chest as silent sobs wracked her body. _Murderer. I'm a murderer._ The thought ran through her mind over and over again as tears poured down her face.

She curled up even tighter on her bed, as if she could find protection from the thoughts inside her. _All those people… their hopes and dreams, all their love and joy. Ended. Because of me. I murdered them all. _She choked back the sound of another sob as it shook her body.

The phone rang. Serena forced herself to assume a cheerful voice when she answered. "Hello?"

Darien's gentle voice came through "Hey Serena. Listen, I got some tickets to a movie at the theater. Want to go?"

Serena leapt at the opportunity to forget everything for a few blissful hours. "Of course!"

"I'll make us some dinner at my place then we can head over."

"Great! I'll see you soon!" She hung up and turned her attention to disguising that she had been crying again. A glance in the mirror and she knew it wouldn't be easy. Her eyes were red and puffy, not to mention she was slightly more pale and thinner than usual.

Something about her face seemed different too. She seemed older and wearier than before. So far, she had managed to hide it from everyone, but she felt sick and miserable ever since she, and the other Scouts, had defeated the Cybermen and learned that they were actually people.

_It's no different than the Youma. _Some small part of her said. But she couldn't believe it. _They were people. They had hopes and dreams and love and joy. And I killed them. All those lives are on my hands. All those lost dreams. The broken hearts and sadness. My fault, all my fault._

A few more tears trickled down her face.

She was so absorbed in her own self-loathing, she didn't hear Luna. "Serena, are you alright? What's wrong?'

Serena hastily wiped the tears away. She forced herself to smile and speak in an upbeat tone. "Everything's fine. I'm going out with Darien tonight."

Luna slightly tilted her head to the side. "Are you sure?"

Serena turned to her friend and guardian. She hated it when other people worried about her. They had enough of their own problems and they didn't need to hear about hers. _Luna has Artemis to look after. She doesn't need to worry about me too. _"I'm fine, perfectly fine!" Serena's smile grew wider to emphasize her point. "Nothing to worry about. How's Artemis doing?"

Luna's tail flicked slightly. "He's doing a little better. He's finally started eating sensibly again. He won't stop waiting in the tree outside Mina's window though. I keep telling him, she'll come to her senses and to leave her alone, but will he listen to me? No!"

"He'll be fine, I'm sure."

"Hmm…" Luna flicked her tail as she silently regarded Serena. "And what about you, Serena? Are you going to be alright?"

Serena smiled again. "I'm fine, I told you. And I've got to get going or I'll be late for my date with Darien." Serena forced herself to bound out of her chair and over to her closet. She rummaged through her clothes, not really paying attention to what she was grabbing. She changed quickly, and then bounded to the door.

* * *

"Serena?"

Serena shook herself slightly as Darien knelt next to her.

"Are you alright?"

Serena forced herself to smile. "Fine. Just fine."

"You haven't had a single bite. Are you sure you're alright?"

Serena automatically forced herself to start eating the meal in front of her. It could have been cardboard for all she noticed of it. "It's delicious," she said somewhat flatly.

Darien gently placed a hand under her chin and turned her to face him. She refused to look into his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," Serena's voice faltered. No matter how much she didn't want others to worry about her, she couldn't lie to Darien.

"You've been very silent since you got here, you barely touched your food and you seem distant. What's wrong?"

"I - I…." Serena swallowed, suddenly aware of how tight and dry her throat was. She felt the sadness and self-loathing bubbling up to drown her. Without consciously realizing it, she buried herself in Darien's shirt as the tears poured out. All her sadness, anger and self-loathing came out in a single heart-wrenching cry. "It's all my fault!"

Darien held her close as he gently stroked her hair. He didn't say anything, just listened as Serena sobbed. "I… can't stop thinking… how I…. I… _killed _all those… innocent people. How… all those hopes… and… and dreams and love… all gone… because of _me._" The rest of her words were lost as she sobbed even harder.

Darien sat silently as he held Serena in his arms. He wished, more than anything in the Universe, that he could take his princess' pain away and make her happy. He said nothing until her sobs began to subside. "Serena…" he spoke gently and softly. "It's not your fault. It was the Cybermen's fault. _They _killed those people, not you. _They _stripped away all that love and those hopes and dreams. You didn't kill them, you _freed _them."

Serena's voice still trembled when she replied. "I could I have done something… tried to heal them or, or…" her voice faltered.

Darien didn't have a response. _Perhaps she could have healed them. _She had healed plenty of humans turned youma before. _But these were different.… Much different. _He didn't share his thoughts with Serena. It would only make her feel worse and that was the last thing he wanted.

They sat in silence, the food and movie long forgotten. _Murderer… _The thought still lingered in Serena's mind. She clung more tightly to Darien as if he could protect her from the assault. But this was one battle he could never ever defend her in. She was facing the darkest part of herself, something infinitely more terrifying than anything she had ever faced before.

* * *

"AHHH!" Lita screamed as she let loose a barrage of punches and kicks. A particularly vicious roundhouse from Lita sent her large punching bag toppling to the floor.

Panting, she set it up and resumed her attacks. Sweat soaked her clothes and her breath came in short bursts as she expended all of her strength on hitting the bag over and over. All her self-loathing and anger at what she had done lent strength to her blows.

She felt the exhaustion from such an intensive use of strength, but pushed herself to hit harder still. Her weariness and anger clouded her vision. She threw another roundhouse kick, but overshot the bag. Unable to compensate, her momentum threw her onto the ground. Usually, she'd pick herself up and dust herself off. This time, she lay there, sucking in air to sate her burning lungs' demand.

Charlotte poked her head around the door and frowned at Lita's prone form. "You're going to hurt yourself."

Lita ignored Charlotte. Instead, she struggled to stand on trembling legs. Once she had regained her footing, she turned to attack the bag again.

"No, no, you're going to seriously hurt yourself," Charlotte strode into the room and moved the bag into a corner before turning to Lita. "Honestly, I don't understand why you do this. I detect moderate muscle strain in all your limbs. At the rate you're going, you are going to seriously injure yourself."

Lita snapped at Charlotte. "Then let me injure myself!"

Charlotte tilted her head slightly as she regarded Lita. "No. A friend does not let a friend hurt themselves."

Lita bit back a retort about Charlotte being a droid. _She means well. But doesn't she understand? I'm a killer! I killed… and killed… and killed… _Lita looked down at her hands. She could imagine the blood of all of those people soaking them. She shuddered and dropped her hands as she turned towards the door. "I'm taking a shower then going to bed."

"What about food?"

Lita just shrugged, her appetite completely gone. She didn't want to cook or do anything except do whatever she could to forget what she had done.

Her weary legs carried her to the bathroom. Instead of getting in the shower, she stood, staring at herself in the mirror. _Killer… _She imagined herself soaked in the blood of all the Cybermen she had killed. The next thing she knew, she was in the shower, scrubbing herself violently, trying to rinse away the blood she imagined was there.

Slowly, she sank to her knees as the brush slipped out of her numb fingers. She trembled as her tears mixed with the water that ran down her face.

* * *

Rei knelt before the sacred flame, oblivious to the intense heat that washed over her. _Calm. Focus. _She stared into the flames as they danced and leaped, looking for the visions it usually gave her.

An image flickered in the flames. She saw Cybermen, falling and dying to her attacks. It was the same thing she had seen every time she tried looking since they had finished off the Cybermen. It was almost as if the fire was telling her she wasn't worthy.

With a growl of frustration, she turned and stormed out the doors, almost bowling over Chad.

He grinned sheepishly at her. "Hey Rei, what -"

She was gone before he could finish. She stormed across the grounds as anger bubbled up inside her. Without knowing why, her feet led her to the charms stand. Charlotte stood behind the counter eating, as always. Rei's anger found a target and came exploding out.

"You're not supposed to eat on the job! Honestly, you're worse than Serena!"

Charlotte remained impassive as she closed the lid of her food container and put it out of sight. "Apologies."

"You better be sorry! It's no wonder no one will buy anything!" Rei turned and stormed off towards her room.

_It wasn't fair to blame Charlotte. _Rei pushed the voice away with her anger. Phobos landed on her shoulder and gave her ear an affectionate nip. "Not now!" Rei growled. With a squawk of indignation, Phobos joined Demos in a nearby tree.

Rei forced herself to stop and take a deep, calming breath. _It's not their fault._ She wasn't angry with them. She was angry with herself, hated her role in those other people's deaths. _I need to calm myself._

She couldn't. Instead, she kept walking through the grounds, her anger threatening to explode out at the slightest provocation.

* * *

Mina felt the familiar dull ache grow. She would have cried again if she had the tears or energy to do so. Instead, she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as if it could save her from the pain inside.

_Killer, murderer, destroyer! _The words looped in her mind over and over again. It didn't matter where she went, or what she did, those words plagued her every second of every day. Guilt seemed to crush her heart like a vice. She barely ate and hardly slept. She just wanted to stare into space and numb herself to her feelings. The actions she did have to do, she did without really paying attention.

It was almost like watching a movie, as though someone else, someone happier and without the blood of thousands on her hands, had taken over her body. She didn't mind. It let her drift into a numbing void where she didn't have to feel or think. It helped that she had broken herself off from Sailor Venus. That was someone else. She was Mina Aino. She had never fought any monsters, had never travelled through time and was blissfully unaware of the existence of any 'Moon Kingdom' or princess. She was an ordinary teenager living in Tokyo and wanted to be an idol. She loved volleyball and cute guys.

_You can't escape what you are. Can't escape everything you've seen, everything you've done and gained and lost. _Mina brushed the voice aside. Buried it away deep inside along with Sailor Venus and anything associated with her.

As far as she was concerned, Sailor Venus never existed.

Mina shook her head slightly. A smile crossed her face as she bounded to her closet to find the perfect outfit. Someone had said a new cute guy had started working at a nearby shop. Naturally, she had to see him for herself.

* * *

Ami rubbed her weary eyes and put down her book. A glance at the clock showed she had been up reading far too late once again. Reluctantly, she put the book aside although she was dying to continue. She turned out the light and closed her eyes.

Her mind continued to buzz with thoughts and notions. No matter how hard she tried, her mind refused to fall silent. If anything, it became louder, especially the voice that wondered if she and the scouts had done the right thing by killing the Cybermen.

_Of course we did, _said the logical part of her mind.

_But all those thousands of people died. Innocent people, _her emotions said.

_And if we didn't stop them, BILLIONS would have died. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few._

_There was another way, there had to be. You just weren't smart enough to find it._

_The Cybermen were beyond anything we understand. Perhaps there was a way to reverse it, but it was an incredibly advanced practice and technology. I'm not sure I would have been able to change them back, even if I knew how. I wish I could have gotten a better look at one to examine it._

_Doesn't it bother you? All those deaths you caused?_

_Of course it does. But we did the right thing. We saved Earth and who knows how many other planets. If we didn't stop them, how many more would have died before they were stopped? The deaths make me sad. But I feel better when I think about how many other people can go on living and loving and feeling because of the choice we made._

Ami felt the warmth of confidence flow through her. True, it was tinged with sadness, but she knew the Scouts did the right thing. Feeling slightly better, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Before drifting off completely, Ami wondered how her friends were coping with what had happened. She was asleep before she could think about it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey all,**

**This will be the last update for about 2-3 weeks. I'm off to visit family and it may be hard to get anything written/posted.**

**Once I get back (depending on if I get accepted into grad school for spring semester or not) things may be a little hectic, but with luck I'll be back to regular posting.**

**Without further ado;**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life;_

_It goes on._

-Robert Frost

* * *

Above the Moon

Trax stood, hands clasped behind his back, as he stared out the window. The sight would have left almost any other species in awe of the beauty of the Earth seeming to rise above the Moon's horizon.

Trax, like all Sontarans, had no concept of beauty if the thing being viewed wasn't a weapon. Instead he considered all possible locations to place a missile silo or defensive structure and imagined the devastation he could cause.

His thoughts were interrupted by one of the ten soldiers assigned to him. "Sir!"

Trax turned to face the soldier. "You have finished your assessment?"

"Yes, sir. We have finished our examination of the planet's orbiting satellite. Our search has turned up no evidence or trace of weaponry or fortified positions. Our enemy has foolishly surrendered the superior tactical location. I suggest installing a missile launcher upon the surface of the 'moon' as humans call it, and using it to obliterate our enemies." the soldier swelled with joy at the thought. "Projections show the humans on Sol Three will suffer heavy casualties. We could conquer the planet within three of its days."

Trax nodded approvingly. "An excellent proposition. I myself had considered it."

"Thank you, sir."

"However, our orders state we must engage our enemy directly. Our objective is to crush these 'Sailor Soldiers' for the glory of Sontar. The subjugation of Earth will come later. Perhaps I shall have the honor when I am promoted." Trax considered for a moment. "Bring the ship into the Earth's orbit. Prepare a battle drone. I wish to observe our enemy so we are better prepared to face them ourselves."

"Sir? Weren't our orders to face them directly? And what if the drone should kill our enemy?"

"The first rule of war is to know your enemy. Only by knowing them can they be defeated. If they are killed by the drone, then they were not worthy of being killed by us."

The soldier hesitated for a moment. "How are we to find them, sir? It is a moderate sized planet."

"An excellent question! We have stolen records from UNIT. These records indicate that our targets are in a city called 'Tokyo' and a country called 'Japan'."

"A country, sir?"

"It is an inefficient designation system humans are fond of using. Unlike Sontar, Earth is divided into various 'countries' that fight for domination. When the time comes, we will easily crush this planet. For now, prepare the ship and the drone. Set the drone to target the 'Sailor Soldiers' and to injure humans as bait. When they come, have it test all of their offensive and defensive capabilities."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Hakisawa Shrine

"When they said it was going to rain, I didn't expect _this_," Serena said glumly.

Luna sighed. "And, of course, Artemis is probably still out in this." Reluctantly she padded towards the door. "I should get him before he catches a cold from this rain."

As she slipped out the door and into the rain, Lita leaned against the doorframe. "Rain is a bit of an understatement. It's like it's trying to wash the whole world away." She shivered slightly. "It's cold too."

"Stop whining," Rei snapped.

Lita glowered at Rei. "I was just commenting that -"

"I. Don't. Care." Rei spat back.

Lita stood up straight, a storm of emotions crossing her face. Ami recognized the signs of anger bubbling up in Lita.

Lita's voice was cautiously defensive. "We're just talking about the weather."

Rei slammed the book she had been reading shut. "Talk about something else! Or better yet, don't talk at all!"

Ami watched nervously as the two drew closer together. She knew if someone didn't stop them, it was going to end up in a fight. Charlotte, as always was watching with detached interest and Serena seemed unable to move from where she sat by the door. Ami started to stand to intervene, but it was too late.

"Are you telling me to shut up?"

"Yeah! Now _shut up_!"

Lita and Rei began screaming at each other. Between them and the rain, Ami couldn't make out most of it, but what she did hear shocked her so badly, she wasn't sure what to do for a moment. She hadn't ever heard either one of them talk about others that way, let alone each other.

Lita screamed louder before flipping the table to the side, sending papers, pens and books tumbling to the ground. The table almost hit Charlotte, but she leapt clear before it could hit her.

Lita and Rei didn't seem to notice as they continued screaming at each other. Without realizing it, Ami added her voice to the cacophony and stepped between the two, pushing them away from each other.

"Stop it!"

Lita and Rei fell silent at the rare display of force from Ami. "You're friends! How could you say…" Ami couldn't bring herself to repeat what they had said. "How could you even _consider _saying that about each other?"

Ami didn't always know what to say. She had always been the most soft-spoken of the scouts. Tonight was different. The words seemed to flow out of her as if they had created themselves. "We're supposed to be friends! And we're supposed to protect this planet! How can we do that if we're busy fighting each other?"

Lita and Rei both looked away from each other and Ami. By their expressions, she could tell her words were hitting them hard. They let the silence settle for a moment.

Lita finally broke it. "I… I'm sorry." she looked to Rei. "I didn't mean any of it, and I wish I hadn't said it."

Rei seemed on the verge of making a sarcastic remark. She opened her mouth for a moment, but quickly closed it as an expression of weary resignation crossed her face. "I'm sorry too. It's just…" she hesitated for a moment. "I've been on-edge since… we stopped _them._"

Lita looked sad and weary. "I know. Ever since we stopped… _them... _I…" Tears began to pool in Lita's eyes. She wiped them away before they could spill over. "I can't eat. I can't sleep. I feel sad and angry all the time and all I can think about is how much I hate myself for what I've done."

Ami realized that her friends were suffering worse than she had imagined. She knew that she had accepted what had happened and what they had to do to stop the Cybermen, but she had no idea that her friends were still struggling with the ramifications of what they had done. Almost instinctively, she pulled Lita, Serena and Rei into a hug.

It was then she could see the signs of their grief and guilt. Lita and Serena's eyes were red and puffy and both of them looked pale and thinner than usual. Rei's eyes were less puffy, but her face had pale marks as if she had pressed her hands and nails into it frequently.

"We're all together in this," Ami made sure to articulate clearly as she spoke. "Not just as friends, but as Scouts. Good or bad, right or wrong, success or failure, we _have _to stay together because we're the only ones in the Universe who truly understand each other."

Serena shook her head slightly. "How can we ever be Sailor Scouts again after what we did?"

Ami hugged her friends a little tighter before responding. "We can't undo it and we shouldn't forget it. All we can do is hope and pray that one day, we can beg them for forgiveness. Until then, we have to stay together and defend Earth because there's no one else to do it."

The four of them fell silent as they clung to each other, sharing their misery, anger, pain and guilt. As they stood there, they each felt a slight shift in themselves. All of the pain and guilt was there, but it seemed less. As if by sharing it, the pain was lessened. For the first time in several weeks, they started to feel better.

* * *

Tokyo Bay

The pod crashed into the water, sending up a huge gout of water and steam. The moment it lost its momentum from the descent, the pod broke into two halves and a human-sized, bullet-shaped drone was launched clear.

The drone slowed and finally stopped before assessing its surroundings with its array of sensors. Not detecting an immediate threat, it sent a signal to the Sontaran ship above, indicating that it was fully operational and was beginning to carry out its mission. Once it had received confirmation that its orders were the same, it streaked towards the nearby city.

Once between the buildings, it constantly scanned everything around it, until it found a suitable location at the middle of an intersection. It hovered several meters above ground.

The people around it looked on with mounting curiosity at the strange device. A crowd began to gather as people stopped to see what the others were looking at. Once most of the intersection was full of people, hidden compartments on the sides of the drone slid open and a plethora of weapons slid out.

The first few explosions were so unexpected, the people in the area looked up to the sky for fireworks. Then the panicking began as people realized the strange device was shooting at them with deadly accuracy and efficiency. Within moments, over two hundred people were severely wounded. It could have easily killed them, but its orders were to minimize deaths.

Now it had the bait, all it had to do was wait for its targets to show up.


End file.
